A Perfect Saturday

I greet the morning bright-eyed, full of vigor slightly hung-over with a pinch of unwarranted guilt. Marti and I head to Olde Town East to hit up The Angry Baker (LINK) for coffee and a super duper early breakfast! brunch.

After coffee-ing up, quelling our hunger pangs by splitting a gooey egg and cheese sandwich, and a sexy salmon/egg sandwich ($1.50 total after utilizing a Living Social coupon), I call our friend Josh Harden – owner and proprietor of Ghetto Vintage http://stores.ebay.com/GhettoVintage . Josh works out of a warehouse off Livingston Road in an area I would call deep Bexley. His office is a lesson in cool, with folk art adorning the walls, kitschy trinkets strewn about (like a VHS copy of ‘Shamus’ starring THE Burt Reynolds) and a record collection to compete with the best. Then, Josh takes us into his warehouse….

This is Josh. He's smiling because he's on the verge of killing it in Columbus

Shamus! A conversation about 'Gator' and 'White Lightning' ensued.

Julian Lennon? Or Jen from Dark Crystal?

Holy Sh*t! Concert t-shirts and vintage clothing overload.

Poison!

After sifting through row after row of thrifting gold, Josh shows us the camper he’s rebuilding. He plans to stock it with choice clothing items, drive it to various concerts, venues festivals around Columbus. So keep an eye out for this bad boy.

Coming Soon...

We buy a couple of shirts from Josh (who you can email/contact to set-up private appointments/consultations at his warehouse). Afterwards, Marti convinces me to go ‘actual’ thrift store shopping at the Volunteers of America on Indianola in Clintonville. I find a used copy of a movie about a giant flying turtle that attacks Tokyo called, ‘Gamera’, tagline: Bigger. Badder. Turtlier ( ‘turtlier’ instantly becomes my new favorite word). Back home, I get a signed cd/postcard in the mail from my favorite two-man gentlemen band, the aptly named The Two Man Gentlemen Band website (for my Cleveland readers, tTMGB will be playing at Beachland Ballroom April 15th, tickets are only $8 in adv).

Two At Time? Yes please! Wait...

Hunger strikes again so we head over to Ray Ray’s Hog Pit for some award-winning BBQ. I’ve traveled extensively through the south, and this is some of the most exquisite pig I’ve ever had the honor of eating. The only disappointment is in myself, for not trying this place earlier.

Ray Ray's Hog Pit

Sweet, sweet redolent meat.

Marti took a bite of her sandwich, and TOTALLY ruined the shot. Bad Marti!

I’m struck with the harsh reality of no longer having the metabolism of a highschool athlete, spending the next half hour struggling to keep my eyes open, fending off a carb tsunami. I remember mumbling ‘maybe I should work out’ before falling into the cozy abyss of a sweet BBQ nap. Marti wakes me up telling me it’s time to go the CD101 Side A concert at the LC. I begrudgingly oblige, wanting to check out Icelandic up-and-comers Of Monsters and Men (website). Thanks for the free tickets, Mark!.

35 degrees, ice-cold beer in hand, shivering; not a bad shot.

Of Monsters and Men were stellar, and we head out in search of a bar to warm up, watch the Final Four basketball game. A Buckeyes victory would have been the topper on a perfect saturday, but alas, being a fan of (any) Ohio sports team is similar to having an abusive bf/gf; they give you diamonds/rare, vintage records one minute, then punch you in the crotch repeatedly the remainder of the relationship. Please check out the video for ‘Little Talks’ from Of Monsters and Men, live from their Reykjavík living room. – Mike